Case Study: Ewan Bloomfield - Energy Consultant
In this case study, Ewan Bloomfield explains how he came to be an energy consultant. He describes what attracted him to the job, his education history and what gives him job satisfaction. He then talks about seeing how his work affects people's lives, especially when working within developing countries across the world. He…
Case Study: Ella Sprung - Editorial and Production Assistant
In this case study, Ella Sprung, explains how she came to work as an engineer. She describes her ambitions when younger, her education history and the role models who inspired her. She then talks about seeing how her work affects people's lives, especially when working within developing countries across the world. She is now…
Case Study: Gita Patel - Financial Controller
In this case study, Gita Patel explains how she came to be a financial controller. She describes her ambitions when younger, her education history and the role models who inspired her. She then talks about seeing how her work affects people's lives. Having travelled widely, she is able to see how the organisation that she works…
Case Study: Lucho Osorio - International Co-ordinator
In this case study, Lucho Osorio explains how he came to be an International Co-ordinator working in the Practical Action Markets and Livelihood programme. He describes his ambitions when younger, his education history and how he got where he is today. He then describes the tasks that give him the most job satisfaction and talks…
Small Is...Challenge
In celebration of its founder, Fritz Schumacher’s centenary year Practical Action have created Small Is...Challenge. Schumacher’s philosophy was based on the idea that even a small change can have a big impact on people’s lives. The challenge for students is to look at technologies from the last 100 years and invent…
Effects of Climate Change - Images
A number of images from Practical Action showing the effects of climate change and climate change adaptation. The images can be freely used by students and/or incorporated into teaching resources by teachers. The following text describes each of the photographs: • Drought in Kenya means there is little water left for herds…
Food for Thought
From Practical Action, in this activity students design and make a product using local and/or organic ingredients. They will also gain knowledge and understanding of the design and make process, write a design specification and produce a step-by-step plan for making a product. Further resources are available from the Practical Action’s…
Reusing Textiles: Waste to Wear
In this activity, from Practical Action, students are challenged to design and make a good quality textiles product from some throwaway textiles collected from home or bought from a charity shop. Further resources are available from the Practical Action’s Sustainable Design and Technology database.
Redesigning for Sustainability: Less is More
From Practical Action, this resource gets students to look at how a product could be redesigned to require less packaging. Companies are being encouraged to develop ‘environmentally-smart’ retail packaging design. In this activity, students are challenged to redesign a familiar product so that it has less (and more sustainable)…
Where's the Impact?
From Practical Action, this resource looks at life-cycle analysis and how it is used to work out the environmental impact of different products.
5/5- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Activity sheet
Winners and Losers
This resource, produced by Practical Action, helps students think about who the winners and losers are when making product choices.
Let's Negotiate
From Practical Action, this resource encourages students to look at how design specifications are balanced when developing new products.
Line-ups
This resource, from Practical Action, helps students to evaluate the environmental, economic and social impacts of everyday products.
Belief Circles
From Practical Action and the Royal Academy of Engineering, this short starter activity helps students to think about their own values and those of their peers in relation to the sustainability of engineering. The activity encourages an awareness of the impact of engineering on the environment and sustainability. It also helps…
Design Abacus
From Practical Action, this resource is an eco-tool used to compare the sustainability of two products or design ideas.
Moja Island Renewable Energy Engineering
From Practical Action, this 1-2 hour class activity uses the supply of energy for an island community to help students to understand renewable energy options.
Six R's
This resource from Practical Action helps students look at the 6Rs, their definitions and products which illustrate the 6Rs in action. These are: rethink, reuse, recycle, repair, reduce and refuse. Students look at the definitions carefully again and rank each of the Rs in terms of which contributes most and which least to making…
Where Does My Food Come From?
These activities, from Practical Action, encourage children to think about where their food is produced. The interactive presentation shows children where some common foods are sourced. There is also an activity using food labels to illustrate the source of foods. It could be used as a homework activity to illustrate where the food…
Where Do Tomatoes Come From?
From Practical Action, this activity encourages children to think about food miles and the environmental impact of food production, supply and consumption. Children compare the impact of UK-grown and imported tomatoes.
Where Do Bananas Come From?
From Practical Action, this activity encourages children to think about food miles and the environmental impact of food production, supply and consumption. This activity tracks the issues associated with the supply of bananas to the UK .
- 4/5
- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Activity sheet
Measuring the Weather
From Practical Action, this resource shows how to make a series of simple instruments to carry out weather recordings. They can be used to help children take and record measurements, understand the weather and also begin to think about climate change. Children then note weather forecasts and compare them to the actual weather to…
What Is Carbon Dioxide?
From Practical Action, a range of activities which explore carbon dioxide and climate change. Simple demonstrations show the presence of carbon dioxide gas and some of its properties. There are also presentations that can be used with an interactive whiteboard which look at sources of carbon dioxide and how cars make carbon dioxide.…
Investigating Climate Change
This activity, from Practical Action, allows children to gather information on people's perception of changes in weather during their lifetime. By interviewing older friends and relatives children can find out about recent changes to weather patterns. They can also think about the reliability of evidence and how data is collected.
Impacts of Climate Change
From Practical Action, these information sheets show the impacts of climate change on countries and real communities. They show how development projects are helping people to cope and adapt to their changing environment.
Comparing the Weather
Practical Action have produced these resources to help children understand that different parts of the world have different weather and to begin thinking about climate change. Children compare two sets of weather data (Bangladesh and the UK). This is also an opportunity to discuss the differences between life in two global locations.
Food from Source to Sale
This presentation, from Practical Action, is for whiteboards and explains the environmental impact of food production, processing and transport. It outlines different food sources and how choices can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and describes the benefits of growing your own food and choosing local or fair trade foods with…
Climate Change Card Games
From Practical Action, these colourful playing cards can be used for the basis of a range of games and fact-finding activities to help children understand climate change.
Hydroelectricity in Kenya
From Practical Action, this video clip illustrates renewable energy in action. It shows how a small hydro-electric generator has been installed in a village in Kenya to supply renewable energy.
- 3/5
- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Video
Climate Change in Africa
From Practical Action, this video clip shows the dramatic and devastating effects of drought. It tells how a three year drought can be seen as a sign of climate change.
Controlled Assessments and Sustainability Issues
From Practical Action, this resource is intended to help students to think about how they can include sustainability throughout their tasks, from specifications, through to evaluation by using an eco-design tool.
Bottle It - Re-use or Recycle?
From Practical Action, these activities help students explore sustainable development and the difference between re-use and recycle. The resources look at re-use (using a product or component for another purpose without any processing) and recycle (processing a waste material or component and using it in a new product).
Fair Trade Textiles
From Practical Action, these materials help students to look at Fair Trade and sustainable development. It poses the question: Is there any way in which the London Olympics in 2012 and future Olympics can contribute to making the world a fairer, more sustainable place?